This article is part of the supplement: Proceedings of the Joint Environment and Human Health Programme: Annual Science Day Conference and Workshop
Review and recommendations
Outdoor environments and human pathogens in air
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* Corresponding author: Ka Lai k.lai@ucl.ac.uk
1 Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
2 National Pollen and Aerobiology Research Unit, University of Worcester, Henwick Grove, Worcester WR2 6AJ, UK
3 Department of Biological Sciences, University of Essex, Wivenhoe Park, Colchester CO4 3SQ, UK
Environmental Health 2009, 8(Suppl 1):S15 doi:10.1186/1476-069X-8-S1-S15
Published: 21 December 2009Abstract
Are pathogens in outdoor air a health issue at present or will they become a problem in the future? A working group called AirPath - Outdoor Environments and Human Pathogens in Air was set up in 2007 at University College London, UK with the aim of opening new discussion and creating a research network to investigate the science and impacts of outdoor pathogens. Our objective in this paper is to review and discuss the following areas: What is the source of human pathogens in outdoor air? What current, developing and future techniques do we need? Can we identify at-risk groups in relation to their activities and environments? How do we prepare for the anticipated challenges of environmental change and new and emerging diseases? And how can we control for and prevent pathogens in outdoor environments? We think that this work can benefit the wider research community and policy makers by providing a concise overview of various research aspects and considerations which may be important to their work.